Episode 362

with Matt Young, Katie Nguyen, Brandi Tuck, and Tomo Nakayama

Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello recall times when they were "in over their heads;" Marine-turned-writer Matt Young reflects on how his experience in the military informed his gut-wrenching memoir Eat the Apple; Portland non-profit leader Brandi Tuck explains how bringing together musicians and homeless mothers can produce healing; comedian Katie Nguyen riffs on the new “dewy” beauty standard; and musician Tomo Nakayama plays the title track from his airport-inspired album Pieces of Sky.

Matt Young
Writer

Matt Young is serving up a raw, modern war classic with his new book Eat the Apple. Using literary forms ranging from internal dialogues to infographics to poetic prose, Young recreates his experience serving in the Marine Corps infantry during his three deployments in Iraq. He explores the absurd nature of 21st-century conflict, the pitfalls of masculinity and the true, if misguided, motivations that drove an 18-year-old to sign up for war. Dark, bitterly hilarious and utterly immersive, this apple is well worth eating. Website

Brandi Tuck
Non-Profit Leader

Brandi Tuck has been making Portland feel more like home since she moved here in 2005. In 2007, she founded Portland Homeless Family Solutions, a nonprofit organization that empowers homeless families with children to get back into stable, long-term housing, and has worked as Executive Director ever since. In 2018, Tuck collaborated on The Lullaby Project, which uses the creative process of songwriting to improve maternal health and child bonds with pregnant women and new mothers experiencing housing insecurity. Together with musicians from the Oregon Symphony and local singer-songwriters, mothers and mothers-to-be are creating personal lullabies for their children, expressing their hopes and dreams for the future. Website

Katie Nguyen
Comedian

Katie Nguyen co-hosts the popular weekly show Earthquake Hurricane, and she takes the name seriously. Named one of Portland Mercury’s “Original Geniuses of Comedy,” Nyugen makes herself felt throughout the Portland comedy scene via her stand up, improv and sketch performances. She’s performed across the country at festivals like San Francisco Sketchfest, the Ashville Comedy Festival, and Bridgetown. Hold onto the nearest fixed object, because Katie Nguyen is going to knock you over with her comedic force. Website • Twitter

Tomo Nakayama
Musician

To put it simply: Tomo Nakayama creates complex music that will emotionally compel you. His decade of work as a solo artist and as frontman for his chamber-pop band Grand Hallway has been praised by NPR and The New York Times, among others. His most recent album, Pieces of Sky, builds upon the digital chamber folk sound of his debut by incorporating ambient synths, dream pop atmospherics and analog drum machines. Another influence? The year he spent busking and observing travelers in the Seattle airport. Consider us compelled! Listen • Twitter